Definition from Colliers World English Dictionary:
1. a time of intense difficulty or danger: the current economic crisis, the monarchy was in crisis
2. a time when a difficult or important decision must be made the situation has reached crisis point
3. the turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death. ...
Origin from Online Etymology Dictionary: late Middle English (denoting the turning point of a disease): medical Latin, from Greek κρίν-ειν: to decide. The general sense ‘decisive point’ dates from the early 17th century
[Retrieved January 25, 2011, from Dictionary.com website]
What is an Organizational Crisis?